Westone 1 Earbuds

The Westone 1 is ideal for use with: Personal audio and video devices including iPod®, CD, DVD, MP3 players, computers, game consoles and headphone amplifiers.

• Durable professional grade cable reduces noise.
• Small, light, ergonomic body stays put in your ear
• Single balanced armature driver provides dynamic, full-range sound
• Easily upgraded with custom-fit earpieces
  
  
  
  The W1 has great comfort and fit.

Westone1 Specifications

Speaker Type: Balanced Armature Driver, full range

Cable Length: 50” / 128 cm

Weight: 0.445 ounces / 12.7 grams

Input Connector: 1/8 inch / 3.5 mm, Stereo

Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 16 kHz

Input Sensitivity: 122 dB SPL @ 1 kHz

Input Impedance: 27 ohm @ 1 kHz

Passive Noise Attenuation: 25 dB

With the new released Westone 1 the competition should be very worried about this new kid on the block as it poses a threat to models all the way up to $200 when in fact it sells for $139. The Westone 1 has just been released and it’s much more than a simple improvement on the UM1. It’s actually a more affordable version of all the best principles in construction, driver, comfort and fit acquired by Westone on their $300 plus models. As stated by a Westone spokesperson, with the new Westone 1 they aimed to build an affordable in-ear earphones that would feature the most successful aspects that went into their more expensive high-end products.

The casing on the new Westone 1 is very similar to the top of the line Westone 3, with a slight difference as the W1 is more like an almond shape but gets thinner towards the nozzle than the W3 does and it features a smaller casing since it only needs to house 1 driver per earpiece. The cables have been improved even further, which is a big thing since Westone cables were already the best cables in the industry. They are never in the way and don’t transmit external noises from rubbing against your shirt, wind, etc. They are extremely light and flexible but don’t let the looks fool you. These cables measure between 50,000 and 76,000 flexes while the industry standard is between 5,000 and 10,000 flexes which translates into 3 seconds per rotation. OK, we are getting too technical here :) but the point is that you will not find better cables.

Comfort and fit are the best we have tested. It provides a negative profile, in other words it lays recessed on the outer part of your ear. Once you insert them, they are not going anywhere. In fact, just to give you an idea, a friend of mine rides his super-charged jet ski every weekend with these. This also makes them a great option for running, working out and other activities that require intense and repeat movement. Westone put thousands of hours studying ear canals and angles. The result paid off big time. I think the main difference here between Westone and other manufacturers in general, is that most other brands build an earphone with concerns to looks or what the earpiece will look like in a photo by itself, while Westone is all about human anatomy. The Westone 1 is also the best model now for kids, females and anyone with smaller ears. But if you have a big ear, no worries. You will also benefit from the extra comfort and fit provided by these.

Let’s talk about sound now. Because balanced armature drivers don’t move air, you need a perfect fit in order to get the bass. This is true for all high-end in-ear earphones with balanced armature drivers. The reward of this type of driver is a much more immersive experience. It’s much like the music is playing inside your head, instead of coming from left and right. It also takes you somewhere else so these make a great option for meditation, yoga, flying, commuting and any other situations where you don’t need or don’t want to interact with the outside world. We found out that the Westone 1 is quite more elastic than the UM1, in the sense that it responds really well to your iPod EQ. It accepts and take full advantage of the Loudness Contour, Bass Contour and other setting in general that you can adjust on your EQ. The single balanced armature driver on the Westone 1 is different than the driver on the UM1. The sound is warmer and the bass is stronger than the UM1. UM1 is still a great product but with a flatter presentation. The mids and highs are also improved but I’d say the low end is where the Westone 1 sound gets a big boost along with the fact that these will accept EQ enhancements better than other models before distorting (distortion comes from the MP3 player, not the earphones).

Warranty out of the box is 1 year. You mail a copy of your Earphone Solutions invoice along with the enclosed Warranty card and you receive 1 more year free of charge. So remember: don’t buy from unauthorized dealers as you may find yourself without any type of recourse in case of a problem.

Comfort and fit the Westone 1 has all competitors beaten. Sound wise, almost. The only other model that you could pick as a favorite over the W1 in this group would be the Turbine by Monster. Personal taste would determine which is the winner, but again, the cable design, comfort and fit puts the Westone 1 light years ahead of the competition.

The Westone 1 comes with a much nicer bundle of accessories than the UM1. They come with this mini case, which is now our favorite case because it’s not so small and not so big. It’s also a hard shell case which protects your expensive investment against accidental crushes. :) The collection of eartips is the same as the $399 W3. The adapters will allow you to use the Westone 1 for inflight entertainment and your full size stereo.